The Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) has filed criminal charges against four former government officials, including Akram Kamaluddin, who had headed a committee established by the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) administration to oversee its ‘Gedhoruveriya’ housing scheme, on allegations of awarding flats under the scheme to ineligible applicants.
The ‘Gedhoruveriya’ scheme is a social housing project run by the former MDP administration in Hulhumale’ Phase II. The first 4,000 units under the project was built in Hulhumale’ Phase II by the Fahi Dhiriulhun Corporation (FDC). The MDP administration released the list of recipients of the first 4,000 flats in its last days. However, the list drew the scrutiny of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), following allegations of irregularities and corruption in the award of the flats.
The allegations prompted joint investigations by the ACC and the police.
In a statement on Thursday, the PGO announced it filed criminal charges against four former government officials with the Criminal Court on September 10.
This includes Akram, who served as a state minister at the Housing Ministry and as chairperson of the Gedhoruveriya Committee during the MDP administration.
The other three charged in the case also worked in senior roles at the Housing Ministry, and were involved in the ‘Gedhoruveriya’ scheme. They are:
Mohamed Arif, senior executive director at the Housing Ministry and member of the Gedhoruveriya Committee
Amed Vishan Naseem, director general of Housing Ministry and supervisor of ‘Gedhoruveriya’ scheme’s verification process
Liruam Waheed, senior executive director at the Housing Ministry and supervisor of ‘Gedhoruveriya’ scheme’s verification process
All four were charged with misuse of official authority under Section 513 of the Penal Code.
Both the ACC and police are conducting multiple investigations into both the ‘Gedhoruveriya’ scheme and the ‘Binveriya’ scheme – another housing scheme by the MDP administration which saw thousands of people in Male’ getting promised plots from land reclaimed in Hulhumale’, Gulhifalhu, and Giraavaru Falhu.
The PGO has previously said that it will be filing more charges based on evidence as the investigations wrap up.
Akram has previously denied the allegations against him, stating that while it is possible that there may have been some clerical errors, he never intentionally awarded flats to ineligible applicants.